Electronic Records Management

HL Deb 20 July 2000 vol 615 cc103-4WA

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they intend to publish a policy document on electronic records management. [HL3487]

The Lord Chancellor

The Government's policy on electronic records management was published in April. It is called theFramework for Information Age Government: Electronic Records Management, an Annex to e-government, A strategic framework for public services in the Information Age. Copies of the report have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The report is also available on the Internet.

Effective management of electronic records is essential to the information age government programme. The replacement of manual and paper-based processes with electronic processes requires the development of effective records management, covering existing as well as new electronic records. In government such records must be managed so as to retain their integrity, authenticity and accessibility through migrations as hardware and software change and to conform with the relevant data protection and freedom of information regulations.

Any electronic government record is potentially a public record and for this reason all such records will be subject to additional controls, including retention and disposal scheduling and prevention of content alteration.

The development of a common system of electronic records management will facilitate collaboration between government departments and agencies.